


Color me Stupid

by ReefStarStorys



Series: Soulmate AU one-shots [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Color Changing Tattoos, Depression, F/F, Lapis is chill tho, Mood Tattoos, Near Death Experiences, Peridot is a bit obsessed, Soulmates, Tattoos, Water, its cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 08:28:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18442805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReefStarStorys/pseuds/ReefStarStorys
Summary: Peridot doesn't want to go home but luckily today she is saved from drowning by her soulmate.





	Color me Stupid

I watched the gentle flow of colors, changing in a slow, patterned rainbow of Yellow, Orange, and red. I had always wondered how my soulmate could do that. Make those mixed emotions perfectly mix in such a way that it created a sunset on my arm. It was soothing, especially when I’d had a rough day.

Today had been… really rough.

I didn’t even want to think about it. The sickening words that spilled out of my parent's mouths like a waterfall of anger and stress were too much. So instead of going home, today I wanted to have time to myself. 

I wandered down to the dock, and sat at the edge, watching the tattoo on my inner forearm and smiling. Turning down to look at the water and how it lapped at the wood and curled into waves like the shape of my arm.

Water. 

Ever since I knew what my soulmate tattoo shape meant, I grew fascinated with it. Not obsessed, but enough to find comfort in it when I needed it.

I was never one for swimming. It was scary to think about diving underneath such a powerful element. Being dragged down far into something that hadn’t been fully explored and with no guarantee a creature would bump against your leg or grab you.

I turned away from my mark, which grew almost pure yellow, when I heard laughing from behind me. A group of teenagers was stripping on the beach down into underwear and swimsuits, laughing loudly. One girl was already in the water, up to her hips, swishing her hands in the water and looking back with a small smile.

Her hair was a pure black speck, and her tanned skin showed quite well because of her Dark blue bikini. I watched a few others join her, before I turned back to my mark. The yellow was persistent, the red and orange gone now. I smiled. Wherever they were, they were happy.

“WATCH OUT DUDE!”

I was struck by something, and suddenly I was in the water. 

And I panicked. 

My hoodie was soaked, and it dragged me down, the more I struggled, the further the light got. I thought my chest might burst. I couldn’t be sure because I was surrounded by water, but I think I was crying. Tears fading into the ocean. What a stupidly poetic thing. I wanted to laugh, but of course I did, and seawater poured in, and I finally gave up, curling my arms into my chest.

But my hoodie was yanked, and I turned to see the girl. Worry showed clearly on her face, and she pulled me closer to her and began to swim up in smooth, familiar motions. I kicked a bit with my feet, but I doubt I did much to help.

When we breached, we were still by the dock, and I coughed as she pushed me back up. A few more hands grabbed me and pulled me further up; Worried voices fussing over me in a slurred speech my brain couldn’t comprehend at the moment.

“I’m so sorry!”

“Ames you idiot!”

“Are you okay!?”

“She’s breathing right!?”

“Get her hoodie off! She’s gonna freeze!”

“...It’s summer, Steven.”

After a minute I flipped myself and scrambled over to the edge, puking. Seawater and vomit spewing down into the water I’d just been pulled from. A collective groan of concern came from the crowd, and I lifted my chest off the deck on wobbly arms.

“It’s probably better you threw all the water up.” A girls voice said, calmly. “We don’t have to do the Heimlich or anything… are you breathing alright?” a hand landed on my back, and another on my arm, helping me turn back around and press my back against a wooden pole.

All I could do was nod. My heart was racing, and when I finally blinked my eyes open, it was the girl who saved me. I wanted to say thank you, but my mouth felt dry and tears streamed down my cheeks; An aftereffect of my pure fright. SO I closed my eyes and focused on breathing instead, while the group I hadn’t bothered to look at murmured more apologies.

The girl was still holding my hand, but released it, and started pulling my hoodie off. “Steven, can you go get the spare clothes in my car? Pearl, get some towels?” I heard two pairs of feet rush off down the dock, and I turned my head and opened my eyes to see a curly haired boy and a girl with a pixie cut rushing away. My head was turned back though, and The girl studied my eyes, relaxing a bit. “You really scared me there, blondie.” 

“...Sorry…” I finally managed. “... But I wasn’t really expecting to get knocked into the ocean. I can’t… I can’t swim.” My whole body was shaking, and I felt humiliated. Alive and humiliated in front of these kids I barely knew.

“I figured.” She said, but softly, starting to pull my shirt off as well. My brain didn’t process it until I suddenly blushed and covered myself. She just chuckled. “I figured you’d rather be in dry clothes.”

The others behind her suddenly dispersed, one patting her on the back and running back down the docks. One of them held the ball. The girl sat back and looked at me for a second. “Steven is gonna get my spare clothes for you. I’ll let you strip behind my car if you want. More discreet.”

I nodded, and stood again. She looped an arm around me and led me toward the cars, holding my wet shirt and hoodie in her hands. The curly haired boy met us about halfway, handing her the dry clothes and nodding before he ran off back toward the others.

“I’m Lapis.” She said, as we approached a dark grey car. “Sorry again, about my group. Here.” Pearl had set the towels on the hood of the car, and I walked around to the other side to dry off and change.

I thought for a moment as I dried off, and sighed. “Peridot.” I saw Her head turn slightly, not quite looking at me. “M-my name. I’m Peridot.”

“Not the ideal situation to meet someone, hmm?” I saw the corner of her mouth turn up into a smile. “I’m glad you’re okay, Peri.”

I blushed a bit at the nickname. I hadn’t been called that since I was a kid. I pulled on the black capris, and caught a glance at my arm. The wave shape mark was tinged with… pink? I’d never seen that color. I couldn’t even recall what emotion that meant. Was I even told?

I was broken from my thoughts with a cough from the other side of the car. “You good there, Peri? Don’t tell me you need help…”

“Oh uh….” I blushed harder. Having a very pretty girl helping me dress did not sound like something I could handle after everything today. “Uh… no no… I’m okay.” I slipped on a random t-shirt, seeing that it had a band on it. I couldn’t read it, so I gave up and went around to the other side, where Lapis was staring at her friends, back at playing with the ball. “Thanks, for the clothes.”

She turned and gave a smile, wider than the one I had seen from afar. “No problem. I’ll drive you home if you want. Least I can-”

“I don’t want to go home!” I blurted, then blushed, looking down. “I mean… I uh…” I could feel her eyes on me, but I took a deep breath, pulled my shoulders in, and spoke again; Nervously. “Thanks for the offer but… I wanted to be here for a reason. When I want to go home, and if you’re still here… sure. But right now I’m okay.”

She stood there for a second, blinking, but then smiled and shrugged. “Alright. Wanna sit somewhere?” She gestured over toward two random beach chairs, a good distance away from where the others were playing. “We can just talk.”

I nodded.

It gradually grew darker, and we sat there, occasionally piping up and delving into a conversation on random topics. I found out she actually was on the swim team, and was working on entering the big surf competition happening in the coming month. I told her about my love for metalworking (When I could, that is. I had a pretty good knack for it. I usually stayed after school to work with my AG teacher on random projects) It fell into a surprisingly comforting talk. 

I glanced down at my mark again and smiled. “Hmm.”

“What?” She muttered, her knees pulled up to her chest, as she had her head lay sideways on them. She faced me. 

“You ever think about your soulmate?” I chuckled, tracing the mark. “I do. A lot. I wish I would meet them already.” I blinked, then laid back, sighing. “Then again, it’s kind of just a fantasy. To think they could save me.”

“Save you from what?” She said, lifting her head up.

“From this life.” I answered, and closing my eyes. “My life sucks, Lapis.” I managed to turn to her and open my eyes again. “My parents aren’t soulmates. They hate me. They hate each other.” I took a second, then looked back to the water. 

“That's why you don't want to go home,” she whispered, I assume still looking at me. “Why did they get together if they weren’t… you know.”

“They settled. In the worst possible way. They settled for each other because their marks were both colorless. The marks have faded away now, actually.” I swallowed. “Their soulmates died before they even met them.”

She gave me a look of pity, and lifted her left hand, bearing a mark of…

I froze, staring at it. It changed to green, filling it up. It had thin lines making it much more detailed than mine, but I recognized the shape instantly. 

“I think about them a lot too.” She admitted, looking at the mark and not at me. “More than I probably should. It’s all up to fate… isn’t it?” She turned slowly, meeting my eyes. I lifted my mark, and we froze their together.

Both of our marks faded to a gentle pink, as smiles spread across our faces. She laughed, and moved, walking over and hugging me. “I’m glad to have found you.” She pulled back, her hand moving down to grip mine. I just chuckled.

“Took you long enough.”


End file.
